11. Leilani
Two weeks later…
Things between Banks and I were moving in a different direction, one I didn’t believe either of us saw coming.
At first, I thought my feelings for him were simply because I’d been deprived of the type of time and attention, he selflessly gave to me.
Banks had done more for me in the last month and a half than any man had ever done.
He made me feel seen.
He made me feel heard.
He made me feel like I could potentially love again.
For me, that was the scariest part.
That and the fact Brandon texted me, asking if we could meet up to talk.
I kept staring at my phone, reading the text over and over as if it would go away.
My fingers hovered over the screen, but I couldn’t find the right words to type.
While part of me was interested in what he wanted to talk about, the other part felt guilty.
Banks and I agreed we wouldn’t see other people during the six months, so meeting Brandon would seem off to me.
It would feel like I was betraying Banks and going back on my word, even though there was nothing between Brandon and me anymore.
Still, I couldn’t help but to be curious as to why Brandon wanted to meet and talk.
I quickly texted back and asked just as Banks came back into the room, shirtless.
If my mouth hung open any lower, it would be on the floor. I’d seen him completely nude, but I didn’t think I would ever be able to fully comprehend how fine he was. He had me mesmerized.
“Close your mouth.” Banks chuckled, lightly tapping my chin before kissing my forehead. He plopped down on the couch beside me with a bowl full of popcorn. We were having a movie night since he had some days off before he hit the road again.
Ever since the trip, we’d been joined at the hip more than usual.
The lines of our contract were beginning to be blurred by our feelings, and I didn’t want to make it clear.
I enjoyed the place we were in. Banks was truly a breath of fresh air in my life, one I wasn’t trying to inhale, nor did I know I was deprived of.
Playfully, I rolled my eyes before turning on the movie and grabbing a handful of popcorn. “Well, when you walked out of here, I couldn’t see the art decorating your nicely crafted body.”
“I spilled something on my shirt, so I took it off.”
“Let me create you.”
“Huh?”
I paused the movie, turned toward him, and teased, “If you can huh, you can hear.” Banks threw a piece of popcorn at me, and I snickered. “No, seriously. Let me create you. I want to create you how I see you in the best way I know how.”
“Oh, really? And how is that?”
“You’ll see once you agree to become my muse.”
“When do you want to do this?”
A smile spread my lips across my face as I hopped up with my hand out.
Banks shook his head, set the popcorn down, and placed his hand in mine.
I led him to my spare bedroom where my creativity blossomed.
I instructed him to sit while I turned on my playlist and got set up.
While I maneuvered around the room, I could feel Banks watching me.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” I questioned, side-eyeing him.
“You know what I always tell you. You’re beautiful. It’s hard for me not to stare. You got a problem with it?”
“There goes that smart mouth. But for your information, no, I don’t. It’s been a while since someone admires me like you do.”
“You deserve to be admired, and not just your outer beauty, but your inner beauty as well,” Banks expressed in a serious tone.
“And you’re just as beautiful, Banks. Seriously.”
With his fingers, Banks motioned for me to come over to him.
I set my phone up on the tripod before skipping over and sitting on his lap.
My hands immediately went to his chest, finger tracing over my favorite tattoo of his.
It was a baseball in a glove with fire behind it and his number etched in the middle.
Whoever tattooed it did an impeccable job because the 3D effects were far too real.
Banks dragged his fingers over my thigh, slowly traveling up to my shorts.
I slapped his hand away, and he smirked.
He puckered his lips up at me. I kissed his cheek and tried to hop up, but Banks pulled me back down and smashed our lips together.
Our tongues intertwined as we deepened the kiss.
My nipples hardened against my crop top, and Banks fingers fondled with one of them.
If we didn’t stop, I wouldn’t get any work done, and I truly wanted to capture him.
In between kisses, I said, “You gotta let me go.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
The air between us changed. I held my breath while Banks seemed to hungrily take in his. There was something about the way he asked it that held a different meaning, one I wasn’t going to address, so I cleared my throat and slipped from his grasp.
I went back to setting up. My phone vibrated as a text from Brandon came through. Once again, guilt consumed me. I quickly shook it off and checked his reply.
It’s important, something I think will be good for you. For us.
Immediately, my brows shot up. My interest was piqued, but I would wait until later to respond.
“You mind if we get on live?” I asked Banks, positioning my camera to where it would capture everything.
“I’m here for you. Do your thing. Who is this singing?”
“Oh, you vibing to this, huh?”
“Hell yeah. It’s nice. We have the same taste in music, so I’m going to need you to send me this.”
I nodded as I secured my apron around my body and started the live. Briefly, I watched as viewers flooded in before turning toward my canvas. It took me a few moments to figure out exactly how I wanted to start. My gaze went from Banks to my canvas and back to Banks.
“Am I supposed to be posing or something?” Banks inquired, and I burst out laughing.
“No. Why do you think that?”
He shrugged. “Because that’s what they do in the movies or back in the old days. I’ll lay on the couch in my underwear with my leg propped up if you want me to. You want me to get naked?”
My stomach ached from how hard he had me laughing as he posed. “Banks. No. You’re fine where you are and how you are. All I need is your handsome face, and I can work my magic.”
“Well, let me draw you.”
“Huh?”
“Now what you tell me earlier?” Banks called me out, and I gave him the finger. “Seriously, Leilani. Let me draw you how I see you.”
I bit down on my bottom lip and hesitantly agreed. I set him up his own canvas across from me and asked him what he wanted to use. He preferred watercolors, so I gave him my least expensive set to get started.
It was hard for me to concentrate on my own drawing while watching Banks.
My canvas was large enough to shield him from me, but I kept staring at him through the camera.
My screen was flooded with hearts, flowers, and many comments speaking on us.
The moment had become intimate for me, so I waved bye to everyone and ended the live.
“Why did you turn it off?” Banks questioned, roughly stroking the brush.
“Because I don’t want anyone talking about you if your drawing comes out ugly.”
“Oh, you got jokes. Don’t sleep on me. I can do a little something when I want to. Give me about ten minutes, and I’ll be done.”
“It’s going to take me way longer than that, Banks. I need a few days.”
He peeked around the canvas and winked. “Sounds like you need to pack up and come on the road with me then.”
“Oh, no. I need to stay here and create a few new pieces. I haven’t been able to do what I love, and I’m yearning for it.”
“I get it, for real. That’s how I feel during the offseason, so do your thing, but don’t hesitate to pop up on me if you get to missing me.”
“I will.”
A comfortable silence fell over us except for the music playing in the background. While patiently waiting for Banks to finish, I carefully placed the pushpins into my canvas to start a guide for me. The idea of how I wanted everything was clear as day, and I couldn’t wait to execute it.
Banks rose to his feet with a proud smile. “You ready to see it?”
I bobbed my head, too nervous to verbally respond.
When Banks turned it around, my eyes instantly began to sting as I blinked back tears.
It wasn’t the best-looking thing, but he’d gotten his point across well.
There were sunflowers, music notes, hearts, paint brushes, and smiley faces.
He used vibrant colors, and I was actually surprised it didn’t look as bad as I thought it would.
“I love it, Banks. Seriously. Thank you.”
“I bet this one will be your best-seller.”
My legs glided me over to him, and I stood on my tiptoes for a kiss. “This one is mine to keep.”
“I hope so.”
“It is. It’s not going anywhere. I can’t wait for it to fully dry so I can hang it up.”
My phone vibrating on the tripod caught both our attention.
I swallowed upon seeing Brandon’s name again.
Banks expelled a long, hard breath but didn’t say anything.
He continued on as if nothing had happened, but it bothered me for the remainder of the day, not knowing what went through his mind, and I was too afraid to ask.